Posted by ChrisinMO on September 11, 2011 at 18:59:00 from (72.161.30.93):
In Reply to: butchering chickens posted by 4010 puller on September 11, 2011 at 18:16:07:
We raise a bunch of broiler chickens to sell every spring. We use a killing cone to restrain them and then slit the main blood vessels on either side of the neck just behind the base of the jaw. Do not cut the windpipe or they will die before they have properly bled out. If you miss a blood vessel, they will take a long time to bleed and die. I can't really tell you where the vessels are, I'd have to show you. For just six birds you might just want to cut the head off. You should really have a way of restraining their flopping around or they are likely to break one or both wings.
You could skin them, which is easier if you are inexperienced. Or you could scald them and pick the feathers. You want the scalding water to be about 160 degrees, though when we were scalding by hand and were scalding 5 birds, one after the other, I would have the water up around 180 or so to be sure it was hot enough for the last bird. Add some dish detergent to the scalding water. This will help break the surface tension on the feathers and allow the water to act more quickly. To scald by hand, hold the legs, plunge the bird in the water and give it kind of a twisting motion while in the water. Have it in for like a three count. Pull up, give a two or three count and plunge back in for another three count. Repeat for as long as needed to loosen the feathers. I check this by plucking off some of the large feathers in the wing. If they come of fairly easily, then the rest are ready. After plunging in holding the legs, I turn the bird around, hold the neck and scald the back side. I started doing this because sometimes the tail feathers, etc. would not get properly scalded.
For picking the feathers, just pick them. Experiment and see what kind of motion works best for you. They will come out a lot easier while they are still hot from the scalding. If they cool down they will take more work. Also, don't wipe the feathers off your hands while picking. This takes unnecessary time and the feathers on your hands will actually give your hands more stickiness to the feathers remaining to be picked and make it easier. If the skin tears, you probably scalded too long or at too high a temperature.
For eviscerating, first cut the head off. Slit the skin on the neck, loosen the windpipe and the crop. Do not pull these out. Gee, I don't know how to explain evisceration, I would have to show it. I'll attach a link to a youtube video that does a good job of showing the how-to of evisceration. If you have ever gutted a deer or some such, then you can figure out a chicken, it is pretty much the same just a whole lot smaller!
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